ACDI/VOCA has partnered with Chemonics to support the five-year, USAID-funded Agribusiness Development Activity in Uzbekistan. The USAID Agribusiness Development Activity supports Uzbekistan’s ability to provide private sector-led growth in agriculture and related sectors. It capitalizes on previous USAID investment and advancements by increasing the quantity, quality, and diversity of goods and services made from various sources of agricultural production in Uzbekistan by private sector firms.
The Activity supports an increasing role for the private sector, while enabling the country to create meaningful jobs in the formal economy for its burgeoning workforce, especially youth. ACDI/VOCA’s assistance primarily surrounds aspects related to postharvest value added processing of horticultural and non-horticultural products, creating economic opportunities for women and youth in all levels of agriculture value chains, and developing extension services that are capable of delivering quality advice and services to agricultural producers.
Project Objectives
- Increased Value-Added Production Within Uzbekistan
- Improved Opportunities and Outcomes for Vulnerable Populations
- Fostered Enabling Environment for Agriculture
Project Activities and Approaches
- Develop market linkages through buyers’ visits, trade show participation, and test shipments to new buyers, identify potential buyers in export markets and co-invest with firms to support their entry into those markets, strengthen quality standards and certifications, implement co-funded equipment and process upgrades, and improve marketing and branding.
- Provide business skills training to women and youth, develop production guides for local fruits and nuts, and facilitate visits for private sector representatives to production sites in target communities to expand their reach into vulnerable areas.
- Support capacity-building for extension service providers in subjects such as export markets, export readiness, trade regulations, and financing, and pilot improvements in extension models in all target regions, refine them, and roll them out in cooperation with the World Bank and Ministry of Agriculture.
Anticipated Project Results
- Increased Post-Harvest, Value-Added Processing of Horticultural Products
- Increased Post-Harvest Processing of Non-Horticultural Goods
- Improved Economic Opportunities for Women and Youth
- Increased Economic Activity in Vulnerable Communities
- Support Extension Service Development
Funder: USAID; Prime Contractor: Chemonics
Project Director: Art Gandilyan, agandilyan@acdivoca.org
Project Specialist: Emily Gray, egray@acdivoca.org
